The Seychelles Immigration Quagmire
By Marc Houareau – June 2007
This article was written in 2007 and is a reproduction from the Seychelles Review magazine. We are posting it because the author Mr. Marc Houareau, a prominent Seychellois businessman, had the vision as far back as mid-2007 to write about the complexity of immigration and naturalisation matters, but more importantly, he clearly spelled out the dangers facing Seychelles if we don't tackle and amend the lax and corrupt immigration laws.
INTRODUCTION
Seychelles is a nation of immigrants, with our ancestors having come predominantly from France, UK, Africa and Asia to create what we today call the Seychellois “Creole” people. A blend of cultures and races, the proverbial melting pot!
But the question today on everyone’s lip is whether the pot is now boiling over. Can our small country sustain the influx of immigrants? What future impact will this have on our economy, our housing, transport and health sectors, let alone our religious, political and cultural institutions? More importantly, what type of immigrants do we want in our future Seychelles and what are the reactions of Seychellois to the various waves of new immigrants? Has our Government been overly eager to offer and sell our citizenship to certain ethnic and affluent groups? Or do we simply need more immigrants to reverse our population decline and to take jobs that Seychellois workers are not willing to fill?
GENUINE CONCERNS
Today, concerns about immigration, citizenship, and views of what to do about it, divide the public in many different ways. A growing number believe that immigrants are a burden to our country, taking jobs and housing from our own and creating strains on our health and education systems. Many also worry about the cultural impact of the expanding number of migrants into Seychelles. Some complain that immigrants working in Government are either spies or lackeys for their bosses, and are basically slaves to a one-party mentality as one would be sent home on the next available flight if one disagreed with the status quo. Others believe that newcomers strengthen our society and create a wealth of diversity crucial to our growing nation. Meanwhile, most business owners I have spoken to hold consistently more favorable views of immigrants, given the fact that it is becoming extremely difficult to find quality Seychellois workers to fill vacant posts.
But most recently, citizenship has emerged as a dominant local concern with the much publicized case of Radovan Krejcir. The Czech Republic fugitive bought a Seychellois passport and was recently arrested in South Africa using the false name of Egbert Jules Savy. Our own Department of Internal Affairs and the state-controlled press have kept a deathly silence on the whole embarrassing affair. And what was hailed by the SPPF stalwarts as the key to unlocking our economic woes, the misaligned Economic Development Act (EDA) and the unscrupulous sale of our Seychellois passports and citizenship have come back to haunt and embarrass the SPPF Government once again.
Reflecting this ambivalence, the public is definitely concerned, and rightfully so, with the many policy proposals aimed at dealing with immigrants and particularly with Seychelles citizenship.
THE SEYCHELLES WORKFORCE – ASTOUNDING STATISTICS
At the end of 2006, Seychelles had a total number of 39,561 “formally” employed, plus an additional 6,059 self-employed, domestic and family workers. Of those in formal employment, 12,773 or 32.3% work in the public sector (Government) and another 6,010 or 15.2% work for parastatals. This means that nearly 50% of our workforce today is employed directly or indirectly by the Government, a mind-boggling figure when one considers the size of our population!
At the end of 2006, 1,175 Seychellois were unemployed, but so far in 2007, this figure has increased to an alarming 1,521 people, of which 560 are Polytechnic graduates. More worrying is that 1,056 (69.4%) of those job seekers are below 30 years of age, meaning that the economy is not creating jobs for our young workers.
In the same context, when I speak to business owners today, there is a strong case being made for opening up Seychelles’ doors to immigrant workers, from professionals in the IT, Accounting and banking/finance sectors to low-paying jobs such as gardeners and maids. One can clearly see the crisis currently being felt in all sectors of the economy. From tourism, to fishing, to construction, to information technology and to the medical field, there is a critical shortage of qualified and more importantly willing labour to move the economy forward.
And while Government regulations and policies allow certain sectors to hire foreigners in limited numbers, such as in the tourism and fisheries sectors, other sectors do not enjoy such luxury as there is supposedly enough Seychellois to work in those other sectors. But try to have a house built or remodeled today and one will quickly realize that there aren’t enough contractors willing to take on the job; they are all too busy building hotel resorts or low cost housing for MLUH. Try to hire a gardener and one will be lucky if he stays on the property 2 weeks. Try to hire a local maid and one will see their belongings slowly disappearing before their eyes. Worse, try to hire a young Seychellois and the odds are that he/she will start breaking company rules before completing probation. This isn’t meant to be derogatory toward our own kin, but this is a rather unfortunate fact that needs immediate remedy. Unfortunately, a lethargic citizenry has been created and one simply not interested in hard work. After years of the SPPF government instilling a socialistic attitude in the populace, the majority of Seychellois are now cemented in their beliefs that the government exists to provide for all of their basic needs such as a house, transport, medical, food, schooling etc. And because there are no replacement workers to ensure healthy competition for jobs, Seychellois can be as lazy and unmotivated as they wish to be, resulting in low productivity and a stagnating economy. Thus, we are at a proverbial employment and growth crossroads, and it is clear that the Government needs to address job creation in our country while opening the immigrant doors to allow for growth, competition and development.
EMIGRATION – OUR SEYCHELLOIS PEOPLE ARE FLEEING
Meanwhile, the National Statistics Bureau 2006 report has confirmed that during the past 5 years, 4,586 Seychellois left our shores for good, with 962 leaving in 2006 alone. This is an astounding 5% of our population leaving the country for one reason or another and one has to consider the long term effect on the country, especially when life expectancy is a mere 72.9 years and we have a population of 84,600 only. The fact remains that it is usually the educated who emigrate, thus the base of talented workers is eroding at an alarming pace, creating competition and undue pressure amongst local companies for this limited pool of resources. We are quickly becoming a nation of grass-cutters, boat boys, maids and waitresses, while our pilots fly out to greener pastures, our nurses flee to Europe and our IT personnel migrate to Australia in droves.
Obviously, these able bodies have to be replaced with others if we are to continue to grow economically and socially, and while the Government cannot stem the outflow of our countrymen, the question one begs to ask is why so many of our young people are fleeing their homeland? Better pay, the ability to purchase a home or even something as basic as a car, the high cost of living in Seychelles, the lack of good health care facilities, persistent foreign exchange shortage and basic commodities in our shops, and simply the lack of job opportunities and advancement must be factors to consider. Add a disregard for basic constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and the lack of a free press, a divided nation, a single state-controlled AM/FM radio station, contempt for the rule of law let alone a non-independent judiciary, increase in crime and drug-related incidents, political oppression, security clearance, and one starts to realize that unless this Government heeds the ever-flashing warning signs, we will continue to lose our country’s greatest asset; our young people and future workforce. In summary, our skilled citizens are leaving our shores, only to be replaced by immigrants, not necessarily any smarter than the ones leaving, and many of whom will sooner or later apply for citizenship.
GLOBAL ADAPTATION
But we must not look at our own immigration in isolation, but rather expose ourselves to the new trends in the rapidly changing state of global migration. Today in Seychelles, it is not uncommon to go to the hospital to find a doctor who cannot speak or understand Creole or French, let alone English! We have foreign judges from Mauritius, waiters from Maldives, gardeners from Sri Lanka, chefs from France, football players from Madagascar, massage therapists from Thailand and even foreign DJs at Paradise FM. Recent hotel projects such as North Island, Labriz Silhouette and Maia Hotel have been built primarily by workers of Indian origin, while schools and many Government buildings are being constructed by Chinese workers. The IOT canning factory is manned mostly by Filipino and Kenyan shift workers. We even have Australian citizens in our tax department, an ironic situation since our Commissioner of Tax is an Australian citizen who recently took up Seychellois citizenship, while our previous Seychellois Tax Commissioner migrated to Melbourne Australia after disagreeing with former President Rene’s taxation policies.
So this situation is not unique to Seychelles alone. Today, Florida “belongs” to Cuban immigrants, Mexican immigrants have settled in California, and African and North Arabic migrants have made their homes in France. In Washington DC, a new immigration bill is being intensely debated. And in the UK, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne recently announced that a new points-based system will come into force in 2008, designed to ensure that only migrants with in-demand skills will enter the UK.
SEYCHELLOIS CITIZENSHIP & POLITICS
But the most prevalent immigration issue today is that of Seychellois citizenship. This is due to the large number of immigrants who have entered the country during the last two decades, but more importantly, due to the large number who are being granted Seychellois citizenship, either legally or through the illicit channels. Not a day goes by that we don’t see another immigrant applying for citizenship, and the reasons given are as ludicrous as “I love Seychelles” to the proverbial “I am a carpenter and wish to contribute to the economy”, or “My husband is a Seychellois”, when in fact that “Seychellois” is another immigrant who has recently been naturalized. No formal tests are given on our history, our language let alone our culture. Others with large amounts of money seem to become “legal” citizens overnight! Therefore, are we not being too generous with our citizenship program and is our country really benefiting from this? Are we meeting the challenge of managing immigration successfully, in ways that benefit our country collectively and that produce the support and cooperation of members of our society?
It is no wonder then that the Seychellois public is not particularly confident in its political leadership to deal with immigration matters. For the most part, partisanship has only a modest impact on attitudes toward the severity of the problems associated with immigration and possible solutions. However, it is noteworthy that while the Opposition express somewhat more concern about immigration overall, a plurality favours a temporary worker program for immigrants. And even when the SPPF and SNP/DP do not differ overall, there are often deep divides within the political parties along ideological and socioeconomic lines. For example, the SNP/DP camp are more likely to say immigrants are a burden on the country because they take jobs, housing and health care, while the SPPF clan remain mute on the subject so as not to upset the immigrant community that donate large amounts to their coffers at election time, let alone those who continue to perform favours such as building “free” houses for top level Government officials or their mistresses.
MINORITY CITIZENS?
It is clear today that people of Indian origin are the emerging minority in the country. And while these immigrants are merely attempting to provide for their family and improve their quality of life, they are developing strong roots in our community, much to the disapproval of some. And coupled with their high birth-rate, these immigrants can no longer be ignored.
While most Seychellois felt that the formidable powers of integration and popular culture would continue to incorporate any distinctive ethnic enclave, as had so successfully been done with the past immigrant generations, the unassimilated presence of the Indian community today is quite noticeable. Indian immigrants today are no longer interested in assimilation, and prefer to fly back home to choose a bride only to return shortly thereafter to make her a new Seychellois citizen. Thereafter starts the chain migration which consists of a stream of not just immediate family members such as parents and children, but also of relatives such as brothers, sisters, all of whom may have families of their own.
On a positive note, we must accept that Indian enclave businesses do provide a necessary function for the community, and certainly add richness to the Seychellois cultural context. However, let us not forget that this enclave mentality results in disharmony within our own economy, as money that could be used for local development is sent back home, a loss of foreign exchange not made up for by employing Seychellois. And were it not in part for Indian immigrant entrepreneurs, Seychellois could own the businesses in their own communities.
More importantly, Indians in Seychelles today are a powerful economic voice and all that is left is for their political clout to catch up with their economic impact. One only has to look as close as Mauritius or as far as Fiji to realize that the inevitable will happen, and that it is up to our Government to ensure that the Seychellois people are not marginalized in the very near future! Others may argue that the Indo-Seychellois community is quite small and that it operates almost entirely on the small business level in the marginal, not mainstream, economy. But one look at the construction, gambling and retail industries will show that the magnates are primarily of Indian origin and that their influence is immense. Sooner or later, these “minority” citizens will use their wealth and their own nationalism traits to vote one of their own into our Government. The rest as they say will be history.
INTEGRATION & NATIONALISM
Nationalism has become the most prevalent source of political conflict and violence in the world today and not a day goes by that we don’t hear of its excesses of violence. Since our Government has not placed an emphasis on integration, and if we simply consider immigrants’ role as cheap labour, we will lean towards social exclusion and racialization, and xenophobic views will continue to emerge. One may need therefore to examine the issue of immigration in the context of a Seychelles where the role of the nation state is in question, as the logic of the global market clashes with national policymaking. We need to take note of the immigration issues in American and European politics since around 35% of the world's migrants reside there. Consequently, politicians throughout these continents are grappling with the problems this raises. Analyzing political debates and public opinions, it clearly shows how support from both has led to the adoption of restrictive immigration policies despite the requirements of open borders. As Swiss writer Max Frisch once said in referring to a German immigration “guest-worker” experience: "We wanted workers and we got people instead."
In a recent interview in the May 8th edition of the Seychelles Nation newspaper, French Ambassador Mr. Michel Trétout was interviewed following the election where Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy was elected President of France. When asked if he could say a few words about the immigration theme that was so prevalent in the recent French Presidential campaign, the ambassador stated that the new President elect had: “…lancé un appel solennel à tous les Africains et pour leur dire que “nous déciderons ensemble d’une politique d’immigration maîtrisée.” He added that: “Je me permetrai d’ajouter que c’est un langage que vous, Seychellois, êtes à même de comprendre parfaitement à l’égard des étrangers qui souhaitent s’établir dan votre pays.” This translates effectively to: “I would like to add that this is an issue which you, Seychellois, would understand perfectly in regards to foreigners who wish to establish themselves in your country”. Thus, one can conclude that even the French Ambassador to Seychelles has recognized the need to debate our current immigration and citizenship policies.
It is worth noting that there is a dynamic of nationalism being displayed in Seychelles today, and we must clearly understand its dangers in regards to our own immigration policies. In fact, our ex-President Rene was one of the first to incite the then SPUP crowds in the 70’s with chants of “Seychelles for Seychellois” and that he did not want Indians or Americans in Seychelles. In summary, rights that once belonged solely to Seychellois citizens are being extended to immigrants, a trend that challenges the nature and basis of citizenship at a time when other nation-states are fortifying their boundaries through restrictive border controls and expressions of nationalist ideologies.
POLICY SOLUTIONS
While we can dwell on the amazing culture of immigrants, the globalization factor, the fascinating economics of immigration, the fact remains that how we deal with the flow of immigrants, particularly from India and other Asian countries, will have a profound impact on our country in the years to come.
But the change in our ethnicity, even in our small, predominantly Seychellois community, is inevitable.
Coming to Seychelles mainly for work opportunity, migrants fill many jobs most Seychellois would reject. And we need to recognize the contributions immigrants make to our economy and our culture. Today, these immigrants are no different than "real Seychellois" or the immigrant stock "real Seychellois" came from. And the work culture immigrants bring is not necessarily the ethos of the proverbial and unfortunate “lazy or thieving Seychellois worker” that we hear so often in our own communities.
Our Government must analyze the economical and social impact associated with immigration. We need more ethnographic fieldwork, data and dynamic survey research to show how immigration affects our socio-economic environment, let alone the impact on our own Seychellois workforce. It is paramount that we examine our national policy guideline in conjunction with local employment/immigration enforcement policies and the labour market dynamics. In addition, there must be a radical shift from public sector employment to private sector. Government must lead and cut jobs instead of continuing to expand, and allow the private sector to absorb the excess workers by offering incentives such as reduced tax and social security rates. This will reduce the burden on Government while allowing it to focus on providing necessary services to the public instead of creating more bureaucratic red tape that is detrimental and totally unnecessary for a country of our size.
Globalisation, immigration and free-trade are also unstoppable forces. What we can do is better prepare our workforce to absorb the blows inevitably inflicted by these global phenomenon, and embrace change and diversity in our society. Indeed, very few occupations, white-collar or blue, are truly safe at this point. Most service sector jobs today are conceivably "tradable." Pretty much any task that can be zipped around the world electronically stands exposed. As a non-manufacturing country, Seychelles is somewhat immune from the devastating shift of low-paying jobs to countries such as India and China. As economist John Husing stated recently: "We argued with the Chinese for 50 years that they should abandon Communism. Unfortunately, they finally agreed with us."
The fact also remains that a large number of our population do not hold a degree and are not able to compete in the real world of professionals. While this statement is not meant to be derogatory, it is a mere fact. And until we can create a services industry that can create jobs for our young school leavers, or the Government changes its employment and social security policies to allow current businesses to grow and hire more people, we are doomed to see a growing unemployment rate which will lead to other social ill-effects in the short to mid-term.
And as long as Government allows the tourism industry to hire foreign labour, employment of Seychellois workers in that sector will deteriorate, since an immigrant will ultimately cost less while delivering better service due to the fear of losing one’s job. Thus, the sector and profitability of investors in that sector will continue to improve, and frankly, deservedly so. But what of the future workforce? Where will the new jobs come from?
And we should be careful in believing that new hotel projects are going to bring our workers prosperity and higher-paying jobs. The tourism sector is no panacea. In summary, one will see that while the trade spawns many higher-end jobs, the majority of jobs created are at the lower-end of the basket; exactly where the foreign labour force fits in contradiction to creating Seychellois jobs. Let us face facts. Will the new Emirates Cap Ternay Hotel really offer many job opportunities to Seychellois, or will the majority of minimum wage jobs go to minimum-wage expatriates? As Economic Development Researcher Goetz Wolff of UCLA states, these are “classic exploited workers”. And his fear which we all share is that the unyielding pursuit of lower costs by big corporations can't help but infect the tourism industry here, holding down employee pay and threatening to erode job conditions.
The Government must therefore impose standards, wherever possible, that help ensure we don't get swept up in the race-to-the-bottom that is a hallmark of globalization. We also need to make sure that Seychellois tourism workers acquire the right skills to land one of the industry's more lucrative jobs, such as General Manager or Financial Controller. One simply has to look at the 5-star establishments to realize that not one has a local GM at the helm!
Lastly, we should keep in mind that, even in our region, trade will continue to take away and not just give. Today, training is not typically made available to displaced or unemployed workers. The government must do more to help and considerably more investment should be poured into this arena. And we should fully expect that this might not be a one time deal either. People may well require retraining several times during their careers.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is crucial that the newly elected Assembly start a debate and garner public opinion on the immigration issues, with the aim of enacting a new immigration bill that will make it more difficult for foreigners to become Seychellois citizen while making it easier for foreign workers to enter our country purely for work purposes. The Ministries concerned (Employment and Industry), the Immigration Department as well as the private and public sectors should be fully engaged in this debate, and we must retain our ability to debate this critical issue democratically and without prejudice. Racism, bigotry and xenophobia should have no place in this call for immigration reform.
The citizenship waiting period should be increased to 8 years from the current 5, except where a person is married to a bona fide (not naturalized) Seychellois.
Quota and point-based systems have been introduced successfully in countries such as UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and our Government must study these systems in order to come up with a solution that will work best for our small nation.
We need to further study and emulate policies from countries such as UAE, where expatriates make up an incredible 94% of the Dubai population and where the country has prospered economically by allowing both skilled and unskilled migrant workers into their country.
Individuals with a criminal record and who are wanted by any global enforcement agencies such as Interpol must not be allowed to take refuge in our country, let alone be eligible for Seychellois citizenship.
We need to revise our immigration policies with the aim of simplifying expatriate employment. Instead of favouring the tourism sector only, every Seychellois company or individual should have the choice of employing immigrant workers. However, in order to protect Seychellois workers, a company should be limited to a certain percentage of expatriate workers, possibly no more than 40% of that company’s total Seychellois workforce. In the case of tourism, fisheries or factories with demand for lower-cost migrant workers, this can be increased to 80% of the total company’s workforce.
Work permits must be simplified and employers should have the freedom to arrange for their own expatriate workforce visas as they are in the best position to identify their own needs. Red tape must be eliminated!
GOP fees should be reduced and spouses of GOP holders should automatically be allowed to work as well by paying a reduced fee. Even children of GOP holders over 18 should be allowed to work.
Certain tourism-based businesses such as car hire or dive centres should be reserved for Seychellois entrepreneurs only, although 49% of such businesses could be owned by foreign partners.
The Government should explore work visa exchange programs with neighbouring countries such as Mauritius, South Africa, Madagascar and Kenya where there are no shortage of skilled and unskilled labour, and where wages are significantly lower than Seychelles.
We must continue to promote the Free Trade Zone concept where foreign businesses can establish themselves and grow without the restriction of corporate taxation and without having to submit to a local majority shareholding structure. We must invite international companies to establish headquarters or subsidiaries in Seychelles, particular for tax benefits, and must continue to encourage banks to set up offshore branches in our country. As a direct result of all of the incentives offered to overseas businesses, employment opportunities for both local and foreign personnel will continue to be created.
And if we are to attract quality expatriates to our shores, a greater emphasis must be placed on quality educational and health facilities, along with affordable accommodation, an effective police force and an independent judiciary. Property ownership rights to allow for foreign freehold purchase of land and real estate must also be reviewed.
We must also allow for Residence Visas for foreign nationals and their families who wish to live and settle permanently or temporarily in Seychelles; and not just for special projects such as Eden Island, although this is a good start. Such visas would be issued for an initial period of 3 years and renewable thereafter, and should command a premium fee. In turn, this will encourage more foreigners to build or purchase a second-home in Seychelles, thus creating employment and generating revenue for the country in general.
SUMMARY
Immigrants through many years have brought a complex realignment of social forces that engender an intense economic movement and cultural interdependency. With our year round sunshine, pristine white sand, the mysterious allure of our islands, the crystal clear blue seas and bounty of the Indian Ocean and the sheer beauty of our country, Seychelles is truly a paradise destination on Earth. Thus, it is no wonder that so many want to work let alone set up residency in our beloved country.
But it is citizenship, far more than immigrant workers, that is stirring public anxiety today, and our Government must address this matter with a sense of urgency. It is also quite clear today that we need hard-working people, with or without degrees, but who have the gumption to start businesses or a willingness to work in some of our most difficult and challenging jobs. Our immigrant ancestors who built Seychelles tended not to have formal credentials, but they had a desire and drive to create a successful nation despite the insurmountable odds. New immigrants and citizens alike must aspire to these same high standards, and learn to assimilate and integrate into our society.
Meanwhile, we must continue to explore the efficacy of our immigration policies and how immigrant populations will continue to change Seychelles, for better and for worse. More importantly, we need to challenge our own citizens to rethink their views of the state and of citizenship, to the possibilities of hope, new visions, and new graces that only our children, and our grandchildren, can bring forth and foster through the necessary celebration of diversity.
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